Observation / Reflection #4: The Game of School In The Passionate Teacher, Ron Fried describes the Game of School (GOS) as what happens when teachers and students forsake intellectual work and instead engage in their classes as rituals. Take this opportunity to consider this chapter in light of some of the the other experiences that you've had this semester to answer at least three of the following questions:
What elements of the game of school are you seeing in your placements?
How have you seen teachers fight the game of school in their classes?
What features can you plan into your units that might discourage the GOS?
Finally, what impact will this description of the GOS have on your own approach to teaching as expressed in your teaching philosophy?
What exactly is the game of school?
First, lets discuss what a game is in everyday life. "A game is both a microcosm and a parody of life. It is a charade of something real" (Fried, 95). Now lets examine why most see school as a game. The game of school is when students engage in class as a ritual instead of embracing it as an exploratory and exciting learning opportunity. Instead of being enthused by a lesson, students are simply going through the motions and not comprehending most of the material. R.L. Fried explains the G.O.S. as a mindset or a mood, encompassed by both students and educators. "This obstacle occurs when nobody cares what's going on intellectually in the classroom or the school, when the idea of learning is treated as a mindless duty - something to 'get through any way you can'" (Fried, 93). My CT and I were discussing what the G.O.S. really is and then asked the students within his classes what they thought as well. Most students jumped at the opportunity to take part in this class discussion and seemed excited that we asked them their take. A lot of students stated that it might be easier to play in middle school rater than in high school, but some students disagreed. Some students claimed school is too boring to be engaged and simply get lost day-dreaming. Other students argued that school is too taxing and teachers have too many expectations for them; so they have to cut the corners in order to reduce stress. Therefore, the students sometimes only do the bare minimum in order to get a passing grade. They said that priorities tend to take over and sometimes less important subjects get left in the dust if students hope to maintain their mental stability. I thought this experience was very interesting and it excited me. I truly enjoyed engaging the students in intellectual discourse about a meaningful and relevant topic. What elements of the game of school are you seeing in your placements?
In my high-school placement, I see the game of school being played all too well and much too often. You could go as far to say that some students could even go professional. My CT said, "I play the game within my classroom, but I do it to try and help them and I don't use it as a crutch." At first, this statement shocked me. Then, it made me ponder. Maybe teachers use the GOS within their classes to keep everyone and everything on an even keel. My high school teacher stated it is harder to keep students engaged with a rigorous curriculum, especially because teachers have so much to cover throughout the day. My CT stated that the result is a more teacher-center classroom and with teacher-center instructional practices. My CT also commented that he tries to get students engaged but he can not stop the class from running smoothly if he keeps trying to get all students engaged and involved. Maybe teachers play the game because they to need to prioritize what they need to teach and essential what they want students to take away from their class. Then again, if I see students playing the GOS in my classroom, I plan on doing something about it. With that being said, there are a few features I have thought of that might discourage students to play the Game of School. How have you seen teachers fight the game of school in their classes?
As stated prior, my high-school CT said he plays the game of school a bit in order to keep the class running smoothly. I do not agree with this philosophy. On the other hand, my middle-school CT fights the game of school more than my high-school CT. Erica Reid, my middle-school CT, tends to differentiate instruction frequently and keeps students actively engaged by planning interesting and relevant lessons. She incorporates interactive lessons that focus on the student "doing" rather than the teacher "telling" or "doing." My teacher is enthusiastic and very passionate about her content area. She is always willing to give 110% each and everyday. Erica accommodates and modifies many activities everyday she is in the classroom. What features can you plan into your units that might discourage the GOS?
I don't think there is a simply remedy for discouraging the GOS. Some features to discourage it could be to hook students with phenomena. I believe I would use project-based learning activities that emphasize hands on learning with different forms of manipulative. I want to focus on inquiry assignments that hold student attention. I want to engage students and keep them engaged through asking thought-provoking questions. I plan to give students an interest survey on the first day of classes to get to know them better. I can plan lessons to incorporate some of the interests. I plan to differentiate instruction as often as possible and keep students guessing! Mainly, I plan to be as passionate as a teacher as humanly possible. One cannot expect students to be engaged, if the teacher is not passionate about the content area and material. An educator must be enthusiastic about content and continuously work on how to deliver the message of knowledge. I plan to have a rewards system in my classroom. With that being said, the article stated that outstanding students may be ostracized, therefore, I plan to praise students (but not overpraise) and provide descriptive feedback.
In The Passionate Teacher, Ron Fried describes the Game of School (GOS) as what happens when teachers and students forsake intellectual work and instead engage in their classes as rituals. Take this opportunity to consider this chapter in light of some of the the other experiences that you've had this semester to answer at
least three of the following questions:
- What elements of the game of school are you seeing in your placements?
- How have you seen teachers fight the game of school in their classes?
- What features can you plan into your units that might discourage the GOS?
- Finally, what impact will this description of the GOS have on your own approach to teaching as expressed in your teaching philosophy?
The chapter can be found here:What exactly is the game of school?
First, lets discuss what a game is in everyday life. "A game is both a microcosm and a parody of life. It is a charade of something real" (Fried, 95). Now lets examine why most see school as a game. The game of school is when students engage in class as a ritual instead of embracing it as an exploratory and exciting learning opportunity. Instead of being enthused by a lesson, students are simply going through the motions and not comprehending most of the material. R.L. Fried explains the G.O.S. as a mindset or a mood, encompassed by both students and educators. "This obstacle occurs when nobody cares what's going on intellectually in the classroom or the school, when the idea of learning is treated as a mindless duty - something to 'get through any way you can'" (Fried, 93). My CT and I were discussing what the G.O.S. really is and then asked the students within his classes what they thought as well. Most students jumped at the opportunity to take part in this class discussion and seemed excited that we asked them their take. A lot of students stated that it might be easier to play in middle school rater than in high school, but some students disagreed. Some students claimed school is too boring to be engaged and simply get lost day-dreaming. Other students argued that school is too taxing and teachers have too many expectations for them; so they have to cut the corners in order to reduce stress. Therefore, the students sometimes only do the bare minimum in order to get a passing grade. They said that priorities tend to take over and sometimes less important subjects get left in the dust if students hope to maintain their mental stability. I thought this experience was very interesting and it excited me. I truly enjoyed engaging the students in intellectual discourse about a meaningful and relevant topic.
What elements of the game of school are you seeing in your placements?
In my high-school placement, I see the game of school being played all too well and much too often. You could go as far to say that some students could even go professional. My CT said, "I play the game within my classroom, but I do it to try and help them and I don't use it as a crutch." At first, this statement shocked me. Then, it made me ponder. Maybe teachers use the GOS within their classes to keep everyone and everything on an even keel. My high school teacher stated it is harder to keep students engaged with a rigorous curriculum, especially because teachers have so much to cover throughout the day. My CT stated that the result is a more teacher-center classroom and with teacher-center instructional practices. My CT also commented that he tries to get students engaged but he can not stop the class from running smoothly if he keeps trying to get all students engaged and involved. Maybe teachers play the game because they to need to prioritize what they need to teach and essential what they want students to take away from their class. Then again, if I see students playing the GOS in my classroom, I plan on doing something about it. With that being said, there are a few features I have thought of that might discourage students to play the Game of School.
How have you seen teachers fight the game of school in their classes?
As stated prior, my high-school CT said he plays the game of school a bit in order to keep the class running smoothly. I do not agree with this philosophy. On the other hand, my middle-school CT fights the game of school more than my high-school CT. Erica Reid, my middle-school CT, tends to differentiate instruction frequently and keeps students actively engaged by planning interesting and relevant lessons. She incorporates interactive lessons that focus on the student "doing" rather than the teacher "telling" or "doing." My teacher is enthusiastic and very passionate about her content area. She is always willing to give 110% each and everyday. Erica accommodates and modifies many activities everyday she is in the classroom.
What features can you plan into your units that might discourage the GOS?
I don't think there is a simply remedy for discouraging the GOS. Some features to discourage it could be to hook students with phenomena. I believe I would use project-based learning activities that emphasize hands on learning with different forms of manipulative. I want to focus on inquiry assignments that hold student attention. I want to engage students and keep them engaged through asking thought-provoking questions. I plan to give students an interest survey on the first day of classes to get to know them better. I can plan lessons to incorporate some of the interests. I plan to differentiate instruction as often as possible and keep students guessing! Mainly, I plan to be as passionate as a teacher as humanly possible. One cannot expect students to be engaged, if the teacher is not passionate about the content area and material. An educator must be enthusiastic about content and continuously work on how to deliver the message of knowledge. I plan to have a rewards system in my classroom. With that being said, the article stated that outstanding students may be ostracized, therefore, I plan to praise students (but not overpraise) and provide descriptive feedback.